A Royal Card in the Game
by FierySprites
Summary: Ren Amamiya's rehabilitation is stagnating. That's what Justine and Caroline believe, at least. To rectify this, the two decide their trickster needs to be given a proper 'incentive' to improve. "That'll teach 'im!" (He disagrees on needing it, himself—but prisoners of fate aren't exactly allowed a say in their way of life.) [Ren to Kasumi TF/TG, One-Shot]


**A Royal Card in the Game  
**_A Ren Amamiya to Kasumi Yoshizawa TF/TG_

* * *

**Notes:** This one-shot is set midway through the events of the original _Persona 5,_ following the completion of the Third Palace Heist. Slight spoilers for the Fourth Palace Heist are featured. This was written prior to the release of _Persona 5 Royal—_and as such, its additional content is not canon to this fic.

**Warnings:** This one-shot contains Male-to-Female TF/TG and Mature Descriptions.

* * *

July 5, 2016 – Evening

**Velvet Room**

"Hey, Inmate! Wake up!"

**Ren Amamiya** opened his eyes.

As he was long accustomed to by this point, his sight was immediately greeted by a distinct sea of blue. _Here again…_ he thought. It was a testament to the things he had been through that he wasn't really surprised by this development anymore. Elaborate Palaces, dangerous Shadows, weird-ass puzzles… the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had seen it all. That _could_ very well change in the near future, however.

He sat up from his 'bed' (truthfully, calling it a bed was an insult to beds – even his makeshift one in Leblanc was better) and turned to face the cell bars. Unsurprisingly, **Justine** and **Caroline**—his _loving_ 'correctional officers'—were right outside, dutifully standing guard. Igor was notably absent, though that wasn't his biggest focus right now.

"What's going on, Justine, Caroline?" he asked, furrowing an eyebrow. "Do you need me for something?" This was certainly an outlier from their usual routine – he wasn't normally called in like this until _after_ he had cleared a Palace…

He had a… complex relationship with the twin wardens, to say the least. The former was calm, collected, and almost indifferent; the latter was demeaning and temperamental; and both simultaneously held an interest in him – and disdain for him. Nevertheless, despite that paradox, he had grown to appreciate them in their own way.

Caroline turned to face the trickster, wearing an irritated look as she was wont to do—and smashed her baton against the bars. (Admittedly, it might be a stretch to assume the same applied to her.) "Don't play dumb with us!" she snapped. "You know _exactly_ why we summoned you!"

_Actually, I don't. Like, at all._ He wasn't about to blurt that out, though – especially not in front of the two who could whoop his ass without even trying.

"Your progress on your rehabilitation is stagnating," Justine calmly stated, her expression and her tone very much unamused. "You have not further developed your bonds in any meaningful ways, and your acts of thievery within the Metaverse lately has been… lackluster, at best." And by that, she meant that he hadn't done a whole lot other than some social self-improvement and a few visits to Mementos. But hey, in his defense, time management wasn't an easy task to figure out! There was so much he had to do, and yet, there was so little time…!

"As your attendants, we are disappointed in your efforts. It is your responsibility to avoid the ruin ahead – and you are very much wasting your time. So to correct your foolishness—"_ Hey!_ "—our master has granted us permission to give you a… gift, as motivation." Ren squinted. Was he imagining things, or did the edge of Justine's mouth just… twitch upwards a bit? "I think you will find it most enlightening."

This new incentive they were talking about… it sounded sketchy. A lot so. Sketchier than the prospects of 'ruin' and 'rehabilitation' ever was. But Ren didn't exactly have the luxury of refusing the twins' _generous_ offer (he'd rather not feel sore in the morning, thank you). "Alright…" he tentatively agreed. "If you say it'll help me, then I… I guess I'll take it." _What do I have to lose?_

"Hmph! Good to see you know your place!" Caroline grinned sadistically. Her eyes spoke of thoughts that Ren honestly didn't want to know. "You better feel appreciated, Inmate! It's not every day we get to do something like this! Trust me—when we're done with you, you're gonna be _begging_ us for more!"

_Aaaaand now I'm even __**more**__ worried about what's to come._ He mentally sighed. _Well, nothing I can do about it now._

Putting those worries aside, the Wild Card went and asked, "Say… how are you even going to give me this 'motivation', anyway? Is it gonna be a new part of the Velvet Room's services, or…?"

"Ha! You wish!" the overaggressive loli scoffed.

"This is not like a simple Persona Fusion or Sacrifice," the more composed twin continued. "In fact, this is an opportunity that no guest before you has been offered—and as such, we must take more careful consideration into its execution. But you needn't worry about how this will affect your rehabilitation as a whole – we're merely granting you a different perspective to use to further your growth." _That's an interesting way of putting it._

She turned a page over on her clipboard and jotted… _something_ down; who truly knew what? "We will wait for you in the depths of **Mementos**, starting tomorrow. It is in your best interest not to keep us waiting – should you not appear as we instructed, your punishment will be… most severe." Justine's own stare wasn't quite as volatile as her sister's, but it was certainly no less intense.

Ren shuddered. "O-Okay. Head to Mementos when I get the chance. I—I can do that."

"Now—get some rest, Inmate! You better show up like we said… or it'll be _your_ head on the chopping block next time, got it!?"

And with those parting words, the trickster's vision faded back to black.

…

…

…

…_please tell me she's not serious when she says that._

* * *

The next day…

* * *

July 6, 2016 – After School

**Mementos  
Path of Chemdah – Area 8**

Ren had spent a significant part of his day fretting over what the twins had in store for him. Was it a test of endurance against the Reaper? A double-edged upgrade for his Persona? Would they force him to make his way through an entirely new Palace alone? There were an endless amount of challenges for what they could throw at him—and he was pretty sure the chances of them actually happening were all within the realm of possibility, too.

_If Igor's giving them free reign, there's no way they __**won't**__ take advantage of it,_ he mused. _So long as it somehow helped me in my rehabilitation, anything's fair game to them. Plus, they can be quite… creative in their solutions._

(He'd never forget the first time they pulled out the chainsaw. Those poor, helpless Personas…)

In spite of that, however… it was better to just face his fears and do as the attendants asked. There was no good reason for him to leave them hanging for days on end, especially when—again—Caroline was very much willing to kick his ass if he didn't show up. If he was lucky, she'd even congratulate him on his punctuality. Or willingness to 'be a good Inmate'. It could go either way, honestly.

And so, as promised, Ren had trekked over to Shibuya's subway station and activated the Metaverse Navigator into Mementos, almost immediately after school had let out for the day. Clad in his Phantom Thief outfit, one could see him with a more confident gait as he strutted through the claustrophobic train tracks of Mementos.

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Joker."

Oh, and since he brought **Morgana** to basically everything he did—doctor visits, part-time job shifts, Big Bang Challenge attempts—he figured it couldn't hurt to have him by his side for this… if only so he didn't have to convince the cat to let him go into this alone. (He could be extremely stubborn when he wanted to be – it wasn't the effort to try.)

"I mean, two little girls—who I've never seen before, mind you—telling you to come to Mementos to get a present? A present they say will motivate you to be a better Phantom Thief?" Standing next to Ren on the escalator downward to the next floor, Morgana frowned. "I don't really buy it."

"I'm not exactly very excited about this either, Morgana," the Wild Card admitted. The two of them had been steadily travelling to the deepest available block of the public's Palace, taking care not to overextend themselves by fighting too many Shadows. "But I can't afford to ignore them right now – not if I want to keep using their services in the future."

"Right… Persona Fusion, like you said. You know, I—I never thought that _that's_ what you were doing, off to the side: making new Personas in a room only you can see… but I can't argue with the results." Morgana sighed. "If you really think this'll benefit us, then… I'll believe in your judgement." Then he shot a sharp glance at Ren. "Just don't get yourself into too much trouble, Joker! I can't drag you outta here and back to the real world if nobody's around to drive us!"

Ren smirked. "Glad to hear you're so confident in me," he teased.

At last, the duo had reached the bottom of the block. Stepping off the escalator, the trickster found himself once more at the railway stop that marked the block's end. Trains billowed by both sides of the station, the lights coming from their windows helping to illuminate the area. And of course, in front of the blocked-off passageway leading deeper into Mementos stood Justine and Caroline, clipboard and baton in their hands as per usual.

Caroline had been tapping her baton against her hand when she idly raised her head – and lo and behold, there was Ren. "Huh—you actually made it, Inmate!" her voice cut through the silence. "I'm a little impressed! I expected you to be crawling between your legs and looking more pathetic than a Slime. Maybe there's hope for you yet!"

_Gee, __**thanks.**_

"Wh-Whoa…!" Morgana's jaw virtually dropped. "I'm—I'm getting some pretty powerful readings from these two! It's no wonder you decided you _had _to come, Ren…!"

"H-Huh!?" For once, the bun-totting warden was taken aback by something – in this case, Morgana's mere presence. "Hey! Cat! What the heck are _you_ doing here!?" she started shouting. "This is between us and the Inmate! You've got no place here!"

"U-U-Umm—!" Morgana was just as startled as her, though he was far more on the backstep compared to the attendant. "I'm—I'm here because Joker wanted me to! And to make sure he doesn't get into something he can't handle!" he babbled. _Is… Is that a… bit of __**respect**__ I hear in his voice? _(Now _that_ was odd…) "I—I mean, it's not like I _can't_ be there to help my teammate! …please don't take offense!"

Even against the twins, Ren didn't hesitate to support his confidant. "Look, Caroline—it's not a huge problem or anything," he said. "Mona's one of my best friends, and he deserves to at least know what's going on – 'cause in a way, this'll affect him too." He stared resolutely at his attendants, steadfastly remarking, "Besides… **you and Justine** are the ones who said I needed to develop my bonds further."

Caroline's face grew red as he threw the twins' words back at them. "Th-That—That's—" she spluttered. "Don't get smart with us, Inmate! This is—This is something entirely different!"

_Sure it is,_ Ren internally snarked.

"That's enough, Caroline," Justine interrupted her sister.

"Justine!? What are you…?" Caroline looked like she wanted to speak up, but eventually she relented. "Fine…"

Justine closed her eyes and hummed in brief contemplation. "This is a slightly unexpected situation," she finally told Ren, "but not an unfavorable one. If you choose to have a trusted companion with you while we do this, then that is acceptable. In addition…" She laid her clipboard by her side and then gazed directly at Morgana, one eyebrow duly raised. "I don't know why, but I'm getting an impression of… familiarity from you. Perhaps it was fate that you were meant to be here, with our guest, at this time."

Both Ren and Morgana simultaneously blinked. "Huh? Familiar?" the former blurted. He turned to the cat (that kept insisting he wasn't a cat). "Mona, do you know Justine and Caroline from somewhere?"

"N-No?" Morgana crossed his arms, features creased in nervousness. "This is my first time meeting them. But… I do _sense_ something 'unwavering' from them—and there's something deep within me that resonates with that…"

That was… That was interesting news. _Morgana's origins are tied to the Velvet Room, huh…?_

"Well, we can talk about that later," Ren decided. "Right now, we've got business to take care of—and the sooner we do it, the better. I'm happy you've got a little hold on your lost memories, though." He smiled. "You'll find out who you are before you know it."

"If you say so, Joker…" Morgana scratched the back of his head. "Th-Thanks."

The trickster moved to face his attendants, giving them a rather determined nod. "Alright, you two. I'm ready for your 'motivation', whatever it may be. Hit me with everything you've got!"

"You're overly confident, Inmate," Caroline noticed. A savage grin stretched across her cheeks. "That's fine by me!" She stood taller (as tall as she could stand, anyway, no thanks to her height), and in a more haughty fashion. "It'll just make wiping the smile off your face even _more_ satisfying! Now—**here we go!"**

The twin wardens turned to each other, pressed their hands together—and a velvet blue, star-shaped glyph inexplicably appeared behind the two, startling both Ren and Morgana. _"Holy crap!" _the latter reacted with wide eyes. "This is _crazy…!"_

The Phantom Thief duo watched in total astonishment as Justine and Caroline proceeded to perform a rather complicated dance, spinning about and being all acrobatic. For Ren, it was quite the wondrous sight, given how they normally stuck to grisly execution work. Finally, the twins dramatically posed with their arms and legs stretched or bent, the glyph transforming into butterfly wings sprouting from their sides.

All of a sudden, streaks of velvet blue light began to shine from the ground around Ren, almost blinding him. _Wh-What the heck…!? _He raised his arm over his eyes as the aura engulfed him entirely—and just as abruptly as it had blinded him, the streaks and the butterfly wings were gone, leaving the station again barely illuminated.

Several beats of silence passed. Particles of light hovered through the air above. Slowly, Ren brought his arm back down, confusion clearly evident on his expression. He glanced about the place, as if he'd find something different that wasn't there before. "Is, uh… Is it done?" he asked. "Did I… get the thing?"

"Oh ho ho_—_you _wish,_ Inmate! Sorry, but we're just getting started!" Caroline declared, unbridled glee breaking out in her voice. That was… concerning. Very, very concerning. _Things can't ever be simple, can they?_

"Indeed," Justine supported her sister's claim. "You need to be patient with how your gift makes itself known. Its effects may not be immediately apparent… but they _will_ appear, given some time."

Morgana's brows furrowed, shooting repeated glimpses at Ren's personage in equal apprehension to his leader. "Can it be any quicker? There's a lot Ren has to do before we get started on the next heist, and he's got a curfew to worry about too—" _A curfew __**you**__ insist on—_"so it's not like we can stay here forever and wait this ouuuuuwhoa _whoa_ _**whoa!"**_ His jaw comically dropped as he pointed a shaking paw at his ally's… lower body? "R-R-_Ren!_ Your—**Your hair…!**"

Ren paused. Something was… inexplicably _growing_ from the back of his head. He carried a hand to feel his hair – and sure enough, it was lengthening fast beneath his touch. "No way…" he muttered. "It's… It's actually…?"

His black, frizzy hair rapidly grew past his shoulders and halfway down his back, becoming more wavy and elegant rather than unkempt, with a lighter red flowering from its previous shades of black. It was difficult to see from his own perspective – it wasn't like there was a mirror nearby he could look into – but still… he could _feel_ it.

"Ha—and there it is!" Caroline exclaimed.

His face began to tingle all over, a trail of rainbow sparks spinning all about his head. The shape of his face rounded out, his nose shrunk, his grey eyes turned a warm crimson, his lips softened and became coated in lipstick—and while his head kept morphing, his domino mask no longer fit quite as snugly, and it promptly fell off. (It became consumed in flames right afterward, disappearing into the wind; to Ren, though, that was more of an afterthought compared to… well, _this.)_

"What the heck's happening to me!?" he panicked.

"I—I dunno, Joker!" Morgana cried, frantically waving his arms in the air. "I've never seen this happen in the Metaverse before!" He whirled to face the attendants. "H-Hey! Lady… Caroline, right? Wh-What did you two's spell do?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked!" Caroline replied, her eyes delightfully watching everything that was happening to her prisoner. "You're not doing well enough… **as **_**yourself!**_ Let's face it, Inmate," she casually drawled, with the multicolored twinkles making their way around Ren's neck, "you're not very attractive… or courageous… or smart… That's probably why you've been sucking so hard!" _Don't you think you're being a little biased!?_ "There's only one solution to that problem: you need to become someone else entirely! You're never gonna grow into your full potential otherwise!"

Ren would've made a snippy reply, but his subsequent coughing fit prevented that from happening. "I—_cough!_—I don't even—_cough!_—wh-_wha—?"_ His tone rose several octaves with in-between his broken-up phrases. One, two, three, four—eventually, it got to the point where it sounded distinctly high-pitched and perky, if a bit reserved. _"C-Cough cough, cough!_ You—_cough!—_You can't be saying—"

He froze. His coughing fits had died down, as fast as it had arrived—and now he could hear how… _distinct_ his voice. "My—My voice…" he realized, raising a hand to his mouth. "I… I sound like… a **girl?**"

"A—A-A-A-A-A g-_girl…?"_ Morgana stammered out in surprise.

"That is correct," Justine confirmed, still as stoic as ever despite her guest's current circumstances. "As I stated before, we are granting you a different perspective to use to further your growth." Her gaze landed on Ren's feminized face, primarily at his crimson eyes and hair. "If you are to make the most out of our incentive, you must be fully removed from your comfort zone – hence, your ongoing change in genders."

The sparkles inducing the transformation split into two, each separate stream promptly around Ren's arms. The Wild Card brought them to his vision, pulling back his sleeve with one to reveal his bare skin. He could see both of them slim down, losing much of their muscle mass in the process _(There goes all that time at the gym, _he mentally lamented); his hands decreased in size soon after, fingers able to daintily wiggle at a notably easier rate. His gloves gained a rather loose quality to them, thanks to all the aforementioned effects – and sure enough, they slipped off his hands in short time.

"Oh, come on," he grumbled, "I liked those gloves!"

The trails of rainbow particles merged back together and orbited up and down Ren's torso. "Oh—_oh! A-Ahh—!"_ His yelps were prompted by tingles shooting through his body—which was, of course, appropriately accompanied by his sides delicately caving in and his hips flaring outward. As a result of the latter, his butt swelled and stretched out his pants – it hadn't become overly plump or anything, but it was a sight one would be hard-pressed to miss.

His spine curving forced him forward, leaving him practically tripping on his feet (and somehow making it look graceful?)—and while the sparks were at it, they hovered over his chest… and a pair of medium-sized _breasts _actually sprouted into place right then and there. It was completely abrupt and they felt like _really_ fleshy balloons (did that make sense?) and it was _weird_ how they bounced with _every single step—!?_

The thief squeaked, much to his chagrin. "Th-This is—This is just _ex-excessive!"_ he complained. He did his best to keep his tailcoat on him while he was stumbling about, but the constant brushing of his new cleavage against the loose fabric of his waistcoat was… distracting, to say the least—not to mention how his expanded hips were pressing on his crotch together. _I feel like I'm being thrown through the wringer here,_ he thought_—an incredibly __**erotic**__ wringer, at that…! _

It was safe to say that Morgana was more than a little gobsmacked by this whole ordeal—and more than a little _aroused,_ embarrassing enough. (What!? He was still human, even if he looked like a cat! He—He couldn't be faulted for that!) "N-No kidding…!" he said. "I—I can't imagine how uncomfortable you must be right now, Joker…!"

Fighting to keep a blush hidden from his cheeks, Ren attempted to ask the twins, "Don—Don't you two think this is a little… c-counterproductive!? M-Me turning into somebody else, I mean!?"

"…there is some value in your statements," Justine admitted. "While it could be argued that this detracts from the significance of you—as the Inmate you are—growing from your rehabilitation under your own power, we _do_ have a vested interest in ensuring your success. So long as you remain yourself beneath whatever mask you end up wearing, I believe this is an acceptable compromise."

"'Acceptable' wouldn't be the word _I'd_ use…" the Wild Card muttered. _I'd take redoing my Awakening any day!_

"I'll say…" Morgana quietly remarked.

A variety of side-effects resulted from all of Ren's prior metamorphosing: beneath his clothes, all of his body hair from the waist up summarily was lost to fire, leaving behind skin that was much more pristine and sensitive than it had been before. In addition, his form had turned entirely lean and slender—and dropped quite a few inches, which admittedly felt pretty irritating. Finally, his internal organs uncomfortably shifted around, seemingly in order to make way for something (and making him bite his lip as to not let out any more odd and distressed noises)—and that something was approaching fast.

The multicolored trail of glitter moved to Ren's groin area next. _Ohhhhhh, __**noooooooo…**_The trickster had long since resigned himself to what had been inevitably going to occur. In an instant, his crotch had stiffened, stimulated by a sudden influx of sexual surges—and then, it started to recede into his body, as slowly and as sensually as possible.

His eyes started shifting about rapidly. He clenched his teeth harder, with his face growing increasingly redder as things continuously progressed.

Caroline sniggered. "What's wrong, Inmate? Lost that tongue of yours?"

A part of him wanted desperately to try and save his manhood, to preserve what little presently remained of his soon-to-be former identity… but he knew it was pointless. The transformation had come this far; it definitely couldn't be stopped now. And in front of Justine and Caroline, attempting such an act would only make him an even bigger target for their ridicule.

It'd also be unbelievably embarrassing.

…they'd had enough entertainment as it was.

So, he let it go. He let _himself_ go, in a way. And before too long, there was nothing left except a little 'opening', to put it mildly.

_**She**__,_ in all respects, was officially a girl.

(Wasn't _that_ wonderful to think about?)

Her vibrant blush was very, _very _evident by this point. "Perfect…" she sighed. "Just perfect…"

"Don't tell me—it… **it** actually happened…?" Morgana asked. Though he was more cat than man (for now, anyway), he definitely understood the implications of Ren's reaction.

"It appears you have become largely accepting of your fate," Justine remarked. "That is good – this process can be concluded much more efficiently than if you rebelled against it." _Oh, that statement is __**so**__ ironic…_

"What she said!" Caroline chimed in, a gleam sinisterly shining in her eye. "You're almost there, Inmate—let's see if you can handle the rest!"

The sparks—apparently having waited for the group's dialogue to finish—descended to Ren's still masculine legs, splitting into two once more. Around and around they spun, working their magic on their figure. Body hair, bits of height, unneeded mass—it all disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Ren ended up with these shapely, athletic legs; while she couldn't quite see them with her clothes in the way, she could certainly sense the difference. Experimentally, she alternated lifting a leg into the air – much to her surprise, it seemed much easier to move them about, even by the standards of the Metaverse. _This—This __**shouldn't**__ be possible,_ she thought,_ and yet… here's the proof, right in front of me._

Her little act had some… consequences, however. Her pants—already ill-fitting as they were—began to sag dramatically, barely able to stay on to her legs. In fact, they were slipping off entirely, underwear and all.

Morgana attempted to shift his eyes away—_"I'm loyal to Lady Ann, I'm loyal to Lady Ann,"_ he chanted to himself—but they kept coming back to his leader's rather feminine form.

_**Eep!**__ N-No, no, no!_ The idea of the twins (and Morgana) getting to see _everything_ led to her frantically putting her feet down and yanking her clothes back up, her hands clinging onto them as tightly as she could. Meanwhile, the twinkles at last arrived at the end of the road: Ren ended up dropping a shoe size or two as the trails spiraled about her feet. She shuffled in place, fully able to feel how large they now were – and she didn't like it, not one bit. _I really wish they had my clothes adapt along with me,_ she lamented._ I've never felt so self-conscious in my own outfit before…!_

Thankfully for Ren… she'd reached the end of the road. An anticlimactic end to be sure – but an end nevertheless. The rainbow sparkles that been changing her at last dispersed, inexplicably turning into spectral butterflies and floating away into the air. A few more beats of silence passed as everyone took the time to properly register the events that had just happened.

Slowly, Morgana trekked up to his transformed friend. "W-W-Wow…" he breathed, stunned by the Wild Card's new appearance. "I can't believe that's actually _you,_ Joker…" He circled around her several times with something akin to concern on his face. "Are… Are you okay? Are you hurt, or feeling weird? I mean, things got pretty crazy back there…!"

She unsteadily grinned. "Aside from being a bit rattled, I'm… doin' okay! I'm—I'm still myself, beneath this mess!" she said. "That's gotta account for _something,_ I think!"

"Th-That's a relief…" The cat thief wiped some sweat from his forehead. "We can't afford to lose you now – you're our leader, y'know! I don't know what the—what the Phantom Thieves would do without you…!"

_And by that, you mean 'I don't know what __**I'd**__ do without you,'_ Ren mentally translated. Her posture became more relaxed, her smile looking ever more natural on her lips. _Oh, Morgana._ "Hey, I'm not going anywhere, Mona," she reassured him. "You don't need to worry! If anything, I think it should be the other way around—I wouldn't want to lose you in a crowd!"

"Like it'd be that easy to get rid of me," Morgana cockily replied, with a smirk.

"Well, well, well! Looks like you're finally done transforming, Inmate!" Caroline suddenly announced. "I gotta say, it was pretty entertaining, watching you fumble about like that!" She waltzed on up to Ren, her eyes seeming to lecherously examine every inch of the redhead's body. When she was done, she looked her in the eye—and glinted dangerously. "Mmm—I can tell by the look on your face… it felt _good,_ didn't it?"

"G-_Good?_ Well, I—I wouldn't _really _say…" Ren looked away, scratching the back of her head—her blush told wonders, as did her tightened hold on her drooping pants.

"Ha! Don't try to hide it, Inmate!" She leaned in closer to Ren – and though she was small, that didn't stop the other girl from flinching from her approach. "I can see right through you! I told you before: when we were done with you, you'd be _begging_ us for more!" The diminutive warden cackled. "I bet that's exactly what you're feeling right now—isn't that right!?"

_E-Even if that was true—__which it certainly isn't__—I'm not going to tell you the answer to __**that!**_

Justine sighed. "My sister's comments aside… I must admit, we are not entirely finished with this whole process yet. There is one more change that needs to take hold before we can declare you ready to continue your rehabilitation."

"Wait—there's still more to go?" the trickster exasperatedly asked. "D-Didn't you already do enough by turning me into a girl and everything…?"

"Not quite. You see, there is a purpose for us choosing to conduct our… 'exchange' here. Mementos is the Palace of the entire public, and is heavily tied to their cognition. It stands to reason that any major change that happens in this realm will have a large effect on reality, in the same vein as your thievery of other's hearts does. Therefore…"

Ren blinked. Something was tingling toward her feet. She looked down—and there, she saw a rainbow aura beginning to engulf her legs. "Wh-Whoa! Th-This is…!" She stumbled back in surprise as it slowly crept up her body. "It's like… it's like I'm being encased in a cocoon…!" (Which wasn't far-off from the truth, funnily enough…)

As the aura made its way further and further upward, her clothes began to burn away with it. Her shoes, her pants, her underwear—all of it disappeared as things continued, steadily leaving her gradually and gradually more… bare, in the process. The Wild Card _should've_ been more anxious regarding this state of affairs, given her fears a few minutes before. But somehow—_somehow,_ it felt…

…_right?_

The aura—taking the form of this glossy, transcendent sheen—was incredibly comfortable against her skin. It was warm and soft and gloriously _perfect,_ if she was being honest. (It also helped that its opacity kept the crew unable to see anything beneath it.) She closed her eyes and let it wash over her, sending shocks through her spine – and before too long, she was completely covered by it, from head to toe.

"Oh, what's going on now…!?" Morgana groaned. Inexplicably, he froze in place; his ears subtly twitched, and his irises dramatically shrunk. "Wait… this power I'm feeling…" He turned to look at Ren's glowing form in realization. "Is this—is this an **awakening**…!?"

In an almost enchanted manner, new instincts and memories started trickling into the trickster's mind – being a rhythmic gymnast (before the 'you-know-what', anyway), carrying herself with cheer and optimism (in spite of everything being against her), having a massive appetite (somehow, it got even bigger than it used to be)… these new factors didn't _supplant_ the memories she had as Ren Amamiya, but they very much were rising to the forefront of her mind.

Just then…

_**My, my… this is quite the development,**_ a feminine voice echoed amusedly, a voice that—of course—only Ren could hear. _**Two different identities, all bundled up into a single soul… never before have I witnessed such a situation.**_

An unknown presence, whom the voice belonged to, settled rather easily into her consciousness. They were lively and passionate and most certainly _fiery_—three traits she was more than familiar with, thanks to her first Persona, Arsene. _You…_ she thought. _You're a Persona. I—I didn't expect one to show up in my mind __**now…**_

_**Hahahahahaha! **_Speaking of Arsene… the demonic phantom thief abruptly laughed out loud, his bold tones startling his other self a little. (He had background comments for just about everything Ren did—though he'd been silent up 'til now, for whatever reason.) _**Thou art another true self, I see. The wardens' magic truly knows no bounds. Come to join us in the art of thievery, milady? Your assistance in this matter would be most appreciated.**_

If the Persona could showcase a smile, she'd likely do so. _**Fancy yourself a gentleman thief, do you? I dare say I've met few as polite as you. Perhaps we could get along as we see to the plight of this poor woman. **_The Wild Card could feel the Persona lightly shuffling through her memories; she could sense distaste emanating from her as she did. _**How truly unfortunate… you have been dealt a great injustice,**_ she remarked,_** forced to live a life you do not deserve. I can truly sympathize with such a predicament.**_

_Talk about it,_ Ren thought. Had it really been so many months after that fateful day? _I can't say it's ideal, but—it's given me the chance to make so many Confidants, to do so much good. And if I can make it so that no one else has to go through what I did… I think that's worth it, in the end._

She pursed her lips. _…I don't regret doing the right thing. If I was put back in that situation, I'd step in again in a heartbeat._ Even with everything changed, even with _herself_ utterly changed—that was the one constant she wouldn't give up._ I'm not entirely sure about you, but… something tells me you share some of the same ideals._

The Persona, at first, didn't have a response. Ren wondered if she had insulted her in some way. Suddenly, she began to chuckle lowly. _**Presumptuous… but not incorrect. If this is the fate you've chosen for yourself, then I'd be a fool not to give you aid, as I once so dearly wished for. Very well—let us forge a contract, here and now.**_

Somehow, Ren could _feel_ Arsene's grin. _**I look forward to seeing your performance, milady.**_

The trickster's long hair flowed freely in the nonexistent wind, her face looking more serene than it ever had been. She opened her eyes, which briefly glowed as golden as a Shadow's – and on cue, she stretched her arms high into the air and began to twist around elegantly.

Blue sparks flickered by Ren's heels, before erupting into erupting into flames outright. Slowly, but surely, they moved upward and peeled away at the glossy sheen over her—revealing a new set of clothes right underneath.

_**I am thou…**_

The outline of two stiletto-heels—initially glass-like in appearance, appropriately enough—materialized around her feet, becoming solidly black soon afterward. Following it was the formation of soft hose going up her legs, its brim being at about her thighs. Unlike her Joker outfit, these accessories were very much made for her more womanly stature.

_**Thou art I…**_

As the flames continued their ascent, Ren found herself wearing a strapless black leotard, a short black jacket with long coattails and ruffled sleeves—and of course, a pair of red gloves. At her waist, a chain belt exploded snugly into place, decorated with silver rose motifs—and prominently carrying a scabbard which held a rapier.

_**Thou shalt be whisked away from thy life of squander into a world of true royalty.**_

As this was all going down, a figure materialized behind Ren. The figure was very obviously feminine, sporting a refined face, blonde 'hair', and a bright blue ribbon. A glistening gem lay lodged in the Persona's chest, and a crystalline suit of sorts—adorned with a girdle of ornate heart-and-wing shapes—covered her from the waist down. A white cloak hovered from her back, the top brim decorated similarly to the aforementioned girdle.

_**I am Cendrillon, the servant-turned-princess…**_

A thin, black ribbon formed in a flash of light above the Wild Card's head. Quickly, it tied itself around her hair into a ponytail, still billowing in a graceful fashion. With her instincts guiding her forward, she brought down her arms – and the velvet blue aura surrounding them flared up, finishing off the rather magical girl-esque transformation sequence. Both she and Cendrillon stood tall and proud, the chains snaking around them diminishing their beauty not one bit.

…_**and I will be thy faithful advisor for however long thou needs my support.**_

"Whoa… That's incredible…!" Morgana breathed, his mouth wide open. "J-Joker awakened to a _second_ Persona! I—I didn't think that was possible…!"

Justine hummed. "…I must admit, it is intriguing to be able to see such an event up close. At the very least, now I know our job here has been concluded."

As Cendrillon faded away into her headspace—and a black mask with silver highlights appeared on her face—Kasumi returned her arms to her side. "Well," she chirped, "that was… a thing. A really interesting thing." She spun around, looking down at her body and her current outfit. "A new Persona, a new skill set, a new identity—you two really went all-out on this, huh?"

"That's right!" Caroline cackled, pointing her baton directly at the red-haired beauty. "You're never gonna learn anything unless something _big_ happens to you! That's why as of now, you're no longer Ren Amamiya, pitiful Inmate—you're **Kasumi Yoshizawa**, a slightly _less_ pitiful Inmate! And until you master your bonds using your new abilities, that's who you're gonna be for a long, _long_ time!"

"Everyone else will also remember reality accordingly," Justine added. "They will have no knowledge of your past self unless circumstances require an exception to be made—such as your teammate there. We will revert your transformation once we are satisfied with your growth. Given this fresh start… I do hope we will start to see substantial progress on your rehabilitation."

"Well, it's not like I have a choice," Kasumi muttered. _If they have the power to do __**this,**__ then who knows what else they've got up their sleeve…_

"So that's why I have two sets of memories now…" Morgana said. "Does—Does that mean I have to call you Lady Kasumi now, or—?" He clasped his paws to the side of his head. _"Ohhhhhh, _this is giving me a headache…"

"I believe you'll get used to it," the warden nonchalantly dismissed. _(Wow, __**so**__ helpful…_ Kasumi sarcastically thought.)

Caroline cleared her throat, backing up a bit. "Ahem…! You better be excelling from now on, Inmate! You too, cat!" The two of them jolted in response—just the way the attendant liked it. Her glare intensified. "This is a gift that shouldn't be going to waste! If it does, _both_ of you will be going to the chopping block… or _worse!_ Got it!?"

"Y-Y-Yeah! Of course! We got it!" the Wild Card and her teammate simultaneously replied. Whatever 'worse' was, they didn't want to know. "C-Crystal clear, ma'am!"

"Good! I'm looking forward to seeing how you do—so _**don't mess it up!"**_ She returned to her sister's side, a satisfied smile on her face. "C'mon, Justine, let's get outta here!" The twins worked their magic—and in a flash of light, they were gone from Mementos entirely.

Another patch of silence passed.

Kasumi slouched, a sigh of both relief and exasperation coming out of her mouth. "We're done," she said. "We're… We're _done."_

"Thank goodness," Morgana exhaled. "I think my fur'd be in danger if those two kept going…" He shook his head and brushed himself off, as did his leader. "Right. Jok—_Violet._ You ready to go?"

The recently re-crowned Violet had her phone out—and more specifically, the 'Quick Travel' function. "Already on it, Mona."

* * *

**Tokyo  
Shibuya – Station Square**

With everything done, Kasumi and Morgana ended up back in front of the train station entrance in Shibuya, just as the sun began to set over the city as a whole. The cat was, as usual, sticking his head out of his friend's carrying bag; mysteriously, she didn't have to accommodate for his extra weight, in spite of the fact that she didn't have as much upper body strength as she used to.

The two started aimlessly walking through the area, making small talk along the way. "So… Stuff's changed," Kasumi said lamely. (What? A lot of stuff just happened in the last hour or so, give her a break!)

"That might be the understatement of the century," Morgana stated. "I mean—" He started making these weird gesturing motions, as best as he could with his paws. Kasumi wasn't entirely sure what they were supposed to convey. "You got turned into a girl, given a _second_ main Persona somehow, cognition got warped to reflect your new self, and that's not even mentioning everything with those twin wardens!"

(It was a good thing that no one was paying attention to Morgana at the moment, she mused. She would have hated to try and explain the actions of her… somewhat offbeat pet-who-wasn't-a-pet-'cause-he-wasn't-actually-a-cat-to-begin-with.)

"It's gonna be super-_duper_ weird, adjusting to this new reality," he continued, practically rambling by now. "And I'm not just saying it because I think it's weird—it'll be weird for you too, and well, I am one of your best friends, like you said, and even though I only met you a few months ago, I—I really appreciate that, so I don't want things to be awkward or anything—"

"Hey, calm down, Morgana!" Kasumi lightly laughed, an upbeat nature notably visible in her posture. "I've had my life totally upended before. I think I can handle a few more twists and turns here and there!"

Confident words slipped unbidden from her lips, in a way they never had before. It was like a huge weight had been taken off her back, replaced with the feeling of a dozen Diaramas landing on her at once.

There was something uplifting, honestly, about having such optimism restored to her. (Maybe the twins cared for him more than they'd admit.) "And all things considered, being a girl isn't the worst thing in the world." She walked with a spring in her step, a wide smile perched on her cheeks. "It's different, sure—but it feels pretty natural. Maybe… Maybe I could get used to this."

There was a whole lot she could do as Kasumi Yoshizawa than she could as Ren Amamiya. For one, being a rhythmic gymnast would definitely help her out in the Metaverse; she could already see herself dancing and elegantly spinning around the Shadows' assaults, stabbing their different weak spots in a recital to rival the stars. And two, the possibilities for combining Arsene and Cendrillon's skills in combat… they were almost endless.

Not to mention, most of her Confidants could really use someone of her character. Well, that was a bit presumptuous, but—hey, there wasn't anything wrong with seeing a little more positivity in life!

The cat thief wasn't too sure about her proclamations, but he didn't raise any objections over it. "If you say so…" He stretched his arms and yawned. "So what do we do now, Lady Kasumi?" he asked. "You don't have anyone to meet up with today, and if there were any targets in Mementos for us to find, we would've already seen them…"

"Hmm… It's almost night… and I'm getting kinda hungry… _Errrrrrrrr…"_ Kasumi put a finger to her chin as she wondered, before brightening up with an idea. "Ooh, I know—the **Big Bang Challenge! **Now's a good time for us to fill our tummies 'til we can't eat anymore!"

Morgana immediately groaned, contrasting immensely with Kasumi's anticipatory bliss. _"Again?_ We—We just went there last week! What's your obsession with that place, Lady Kasumi, seriously?" It said something that—as both Ren and Kasumi—the Wild Card didn't miss a single chance to chow into another unhealthy piece of fast food. "Even Lady Ann doesn't enjoy sweets like this…!"

"Don't be like that, Morgana! Look, the Big Bang Burgers… they're just so _tasty!"_ She clasped her hands to both sides of her face. "I could eat them for _days_ and never get tired of it! C'mon!" She sped up her pace, her smile transitioning into a wide grin. "If we get there fast enough, we'll be able to enjoy as much of them as we can!"

The bag holding the poor cat got just a little bit bouncy as a result. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—s-slow down, Lady Kasumi! You're—You're going too fast! Ahhhh!"

As the two's silhouettes disappeared into the distance, one thing was very clear: having a royal card in this game was bound to be a very, _very_ interesting experience. With Kasumi at the helm, there was no shortage of things able to be brought into this new reality.

All that could be said was… she was ready to make the most of it, whatever may come.

* * *

Several weeks later…

* * *

August 8, 2016 – Afternoon

**Futaba's Palace  
Underground Cavern**

"**Cendrillion! Makouga!"**

Little balls of light shone in the sky, rapidly descending down and slamming into every Shadow in sight. The Shadows standing on the battlefield vanished into darkness, leaving only one particularly persistent Anzu remaining.

The lion-like bird didn't seem to appreciate this. An unholy screech rang out from his beak, and he (she? it?) swooped in to strike his opponent while he still saw an opportunity. For a second, he believed vengeance for his fallen comrades to be a feasible act.

Unfortunately for him, Kasumi was more than prepared for this.

_Sorry, buddy,_ she thought—_this little show of yours is over!_

With a swish and a stab, his assault was halted mid-flight, his already-existing momentum sending him spiraling out-of-control. "And don't forget _this!"_ As if to rub salt in the wound, the Phantom Thief pulled out her revolver and blasted him with as much firepower as she could give—and the poor, down-on-his-luck Shadow crashed into the floor, stars dizzily spinning over his head.

"Alright! Way to go, Violet!" Ryuji called out, pumping a fist into the air.

"A masterful performance," Yusuke commented. "Truly an art form in itself!"

"Thanks, Fox," Kasumi beamed. "Okay, guys—_all together now!"_

_**HOLD UP!**_

Guns were cocked and barrels were aimed—and the Anzu had just enough strength to lift his head and witness the entourage of enemies circling him. He glared straight into the crimson eyes of the tailcoat-totting thief, growling as she kept that damnable grin on her face. "You…!" he snarled. "You will _pay_ for this! The pharaoh will not tolerate this blasphemy—!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it," Kasumi flippantly interrupted him. "Sorry you feel that way, but we're on a schedule here. Come back when you've got better material, 'kay?"

"That it?" Makoto asked. "Let's break, then!"

The four holding him up—Kasumi, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Makoto—backflipped away, and jumped high into the air. As fast as they could, they rushed at the Shadow at all angles, slashing away at him at almost blinding speeds. There was nothing more he could do except roar in agony, as the last bits of his stamina faded away from the assault.

Finally, the All-Out Attack was brought to an end. The red-haired beauty twirled on in, grabbing a ribbon that appeared out of nowhere. She dramatically spun around and around, stretching a leg above her head while circling about on one foot—and if one paid attention as she stopped for a pose, they might've seen a pink, rose-decorated frame, with one particular phrase sticking out like a bullet in the background:

_**Beauty is devotion!**_

"Amazing as always, Violet!" Morgana declared, wearing a sharp-toothed smirk. "You know, now that I think about it… I haven't seen you this chipper in a long while!" With a knowing look, he added, "Something get your adrenaline pumping?"

"Just us getting to do what we do best," she replied—and by that, she meant really learning how to put her combined expertise as Joker and Violet to use in the Metaverse. (Not that anyone would know _that.)_ She whipped out a spare calling card from her inventory, holding it between her fingers as a sort of exercise. "Dancing around Shadows, navigating through Palaces—it's never stops being exhilarating, you read me?"

"No kidding…" Ann agreed, hanging back in reserve alongside Morgana. "I can't believe we've been the Phantom Thieves of Hearts for this long, honestly. It feels like just yesterday you and I met for the first time…"

She shook her head. "Right, enough reminiscing." The leather-clad model gazed around at the cavern the group had found themselves in—there was a long way to go before they could get to escaping the vertical corridor, unfortunately. "Do you guys see anywhere we haven't been to yet? We gotta make sure we clear out as much of this Palace as we can."

"You've got that right, Panther!" Ryuji butted in. "I'm itchin' to break some stuff 'round here, if you know what I mean!"

"I wouldn't put it so… bluntly myself, but I do certainly get a rush from thieving the contents of some valuables," Makoto admitted.

"I know, I know," Kasumi grinned. "I am too, guys. Just gimme a minute!" She whipped out her grappling gun and briefly examined her surroundings—out of the corner of her eye, she could see a glint of gold shining from a clifftop. She pointed said gun right at it, ready to hit the trigger and go out swinging. "There we go! That'll be our next destination!"

"Ah! Using the grappling gun, I see!" Yusuke said. "It will be a delight to watch you soar across the heavens with your grace and style!"

"…dude. Do you have to use such weird language…?" Ryuji wondered.

Kasumi giggled. "Glad to hear I'm so classy," she said. "At the rate we're going, we're gonna get through this Palace in no time!"

"You said it, Violet!" Morgana chimed. "We'll save Futaba from her grief, whatever it takes!"

The red-eyed Phantom Thief felt her smile grow a little wider. _Man… time really flies, like Panther said! _she thought. _Only a month's passed since the twins gave me this 'incentive'—and yet, it feels like it's been an eternity. Who knew how much perspective I'd get from this? Certainly not me._

_I'm definitely appreciating it a lot more than I thought I would, though!_

_If I'm being honest, I wouldn't mind staying this way when this is all over—there's a rhythm to being Kasumi that just wasn't there in my old life, and I don't think I'll give it up for anything. So long as I've got it in me to keep being happy and steady, there's no way I'll fail to get by whatever's ahead!_

_So, what am I waiting for? Let's get moving!_

_Futaba's not gonna save herself, after all!_

"Here we go!" she declared, firing away. Her voice carried easily to the other thieves: "Don't get left behind, everyone—I'm getting first dibs on opening that chest!"

"Wh-Wha—!?" Morgana yelped. "Hey, that's no fair! W-Wait up!"

* * *

**I'm pretty excited for **_**Persona 5 Royal.**_** I **_**loved**_** the original **_**Persona 5**_** – so much so that I did two whole playthroughs in a row. Hearing that the game's getting the **_**Golden**_** treatment (with buttloads of new content!)… it's enough to make my day! There's even a new party member, **Kasumi Yoshizawa** – and as expected, she's another perfect candidate to use in TF/TG works. I'm surprised she hasn't been used that much in that regard, actually, but I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles.**

**This fic was **_**supposed**_** to be just another TF/TG caption, but it ended up being much longer than I initially anticipated it being. Henceforth, I turned it into a full-scale fic and went from there. This was also supposed to be the shortest of the five, but as most of you long-time readers know, I don't know when to stop writing. Like, ever. **_**Star Allies, Unite!**_** should be proof enough of that.**

**I admit, Justine and Caroline's motivations are very much a flimsy excuse to get the ball rolling here. I understand that well enough. but plot isn't exactly what we come to this type of fic for. 'Sides, I'm sure pretty much every post-**_**Persona 3**_** fan can relate to the stress of on-the-fly time management. I'm bad at **_**actual**_** time management myself, so I can relate to Ren and his struggles here.**

**I was going to have the transformation sequence happen in the Velvet Room, but I felt like Mementos would be a better setting for it. It lets me believably involve Kasumi's Phantom Thief outfit into the transformation (and why wouldn't I want to; appearance-wise, she's basically a gender-swapped Joker)—**_**and**_** it makes hand waving away the reality-changing aspects I added in easier. The 'ol 'Velvet Room magic' excuse can only go so far on its own.**

**It gives me a good excuse to add in Morgana, too. Given what exactly Morgana **_**is,**_** as I alluded to in-story… I think it works – and I imagine he'd be less affected by Metaverse shenanigans than others, so he might as well be here. Also, I wanted to have another character to bounce off of Ren while he goes through his thing. I don't have enough friendly faces by my transformees in these type of fics; it's a nice change of pace from my norm.**

**As you can no doubt figure out, the sequence where Ren's outfit is converted into Kasumi's is directly inspired by the part of Kasumi's Awakening featured in **_**Persona 5 Royal's**_** second PV. It seemed perfect to include. This is a TF/TG fic; adding a magical girl-esque transformation sequence isn't too out of the ordinary.**

**This may have taken a little while longer than I would've liked – school's back in session, and we all know how fun **_**that**_** is – but I'm happy to be done with this after taking up the majority of this month. I'll see if I can get at least one more major TF/TG fic done by the end of the year—but no guarantees about that.**

**Well, that's all for now – see you guys around!**


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